ANDREW DAVIS, JOHN INNES CENTRE
Aphids are some of nature’s most notorious pests. These tiny, sap-sucking insects munch on farmers’ crops, which causes physical damage and transmits pathogens that often render plants unsuitable for human consumption.
While most aphids are only able to colonize one or a few plant species, the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae) isn’t picky about its food. The polyphagous, or generalist, pest can feed on more than 100 species from around 40 different plant families. “Polyphagous insects always have a host somewhere, so they can keep going and can become massive pests,” says Saskia Hogenhout, a project leader in plant-biotic interactions at the John Innes Centre in the United Kingdom.
Green peach aphids are not the only polyphagous pests—others include spider mites and locusts. However, unlike ...
